7ayakum

I have taken inspiration from the Sadu that I still see used today. At festive or informal gatherings of friends and families and at camping trips in the desert;  the traditional floor seating is the most common area where you will see the representation of the Sadu patterns. Most of these modern made seats are covered in machine woven fabrics made in china, some of the better more authentic quality ones made in Saudi Arabia or Jordan, but non the less machine made. A lot of the seating covered in these fabrics are elevated and not the traditional low floor arrangements. I thought about where I would bump in to the floor seating, probably at a more casual meeting of family and friends. Because of the clothes we wear today this seating would not be used for our more dressed up occasions except maybe at traditional occasions like Ramadan.

I wanted to interpret what I would like to have my seating look like if I was creating one, to see the possibility with all the materials and colours we have access to today in the market. The same way the weavings represented their maker I want to take the liberty of interpreting the Sadu how I see fit to suit my use and environment. I wanted to take a lighthearted approach to creating this installation. I do not want to treat the Sadu like a sacred craft that can not be altered, expanded and evolved.  I would like to try to make it relevant, current and to be continued to be used in our homes.  

2016

Senior year Degree Project

Mukani is an Arabic word which means my place.

     The shapes I use in my designs are influenced by Islamic architecture. Their basic forms are used as a backdrop to the extremely ornamental details that cover the buildings.  I use this method in my jewelry to first bring the viewer in then through the details show another side of the work, letting them discover its story. 
     
     This body of work has developed once I left my country Kuwait. Back home the vanished history did not interest me.  Once I came to the United States I was over whelmed with nostalgia for a world that I was never a part of.  The old architecture and way of life disappeared after the discovery of oil. Kuwait rushed forward to join the modern world, and in the processes erased its past.  I wanted to find a way to connect my self to Kuwait’s history, but at the same time give my self the freedom to express my ideas. I looked towards what had past for inspiration to create something new, something that is beginning again.  Mukani.

The Mukani II collection is a continuation from my research I did with my previous Mukani collection. In the Mukani pieces I used unglazed porcelain, camel wool, cotton, silver and colored sapphires.  I wanted to show the confusion and longing I felt towards my history while being separated from it. I created Mukani II in Kuwait after I relocated back here. Understanding and learning about the country’s history while I was here in Kuwait gave me more of a clarity and connection to the past. For this collection I wanted to represent both our lost seafaring life and the vanished mud brick houses of the Kuwaiti people.  I chose to use wood, pearls, mother of pearl, porcelain, cotton and silk in this collection. They are set in 18 carat yellow gold. 

2012-2013

       This project is an exploration of indetity through memory. It is a growing collection of rendered excavations from early memories. I tend to romanticize the past, which effectively alters my perception of now. I allow myself to believe things I want to believe and create a more beautiful world than what is true of my surroundings and me.

        A lot of my memories of Kuwait are of things as seen from inside a car. There is a distance, a feeling of detachment from my surroundings, as if I were in a strange place, which now, nevertheless, I feel very connected to.

        I've always liked looking at other people's houses. Some of them with rumors of exotic pets, others really bizarre in how they challenged physics. And others merely derelict and decrepit.

        Moving around these I sometimes spotted an ice cream man biking in the sun or sitting under his umbrella. I always wondered why we didn't have proper ice cream trucks with music like in the movies. I watched him as if he were some rare bird species impervious to the 50 degrees of summer heat.

        Fragmented and forever suggesting new constellations of meaning is the popular perception of Kuwait.

My Kuwait Enameled Series, 2012-13
Painted enamel on copper (series of 16)
Variable dimensions.

The Experimental Eatery is an underground culinary arts movement in Kuwait, hosting themed exclusive private dinners.  Chef Faisal Al Nashmi wanted a special plate for one of the courses in his dinner. We chose the Savory Macaron: with smoked salmon, horseradish creme fraiche, and passion fruit caviar lime emulsion. We brainstormed what the best way would be to eat it and how the surface could aid in its presentation and consumption. I proceeded to make 24 limited edition plates numbered and signed for Faisal's special dinner and guests.   

I wanted to create ear pieces, or as I call them ear hangers, that were bigger then earrings but can be worn comfortably. I wanted them to swing and have some movement. These set of ear pieces are inspired and named after four major sails in the Dhows that where used in Kuwait and the reigion. The material I choose also reflects the reigion at the time when the Dhows where used.

In the past men would gather to meet, chat, and play games frequently. I painted on images with enamel of boys today practicing the same activity but rather playing some sort of game console. While the women still gather to chat, gossip and have some tea and coffee. 

There are also new norms that are very familiar to this new generation living in these modernized countries. While older generations may not be aware of their existence, and might not be to delighted too know about them, these activates are very much a part of today’s culture. 

I have painted a common scene on the roads here, where there are two cars one with boys and one with women. The boys are yelling out their phone numbers to the girls in hopes that they would call them and have the chance to get to know them.

The other is set in a crowded mall, which is the favorite hang out space in this region due the hot weather outdoors. People go to malls not only to eat or shop, but also walk for exercise and even for some coquetry. 

Photo By: Dana Al-Khalifah

Model: Aljazi Waleed Al-Roumi

Head piece: 2.5cm x 60cm, Sapphire, Silver, Copper, Enamel, Wool, Leather
2010

Ring

I wanted to create jewelry for today’s Arab woman that is still connected to her culture’s traditions but is not trapped by them. She has had a bumpy journey and faced many obstacles on her way to where she is now. Nevertheless, she never forgets and still identifies herself with her past. She feels at home in the desert making tea for her family or in her perfectly tailored suit on her way up to her office. 
I referenced several different fields of traditional work: jewelry, weaving, and woodworking. Using the aesthetics of earlier traditions as inspiration, I explored the possibilities of creating avant-garde pieces that can exist in both the past and present. 

Neighborhood 

Silver, Enamel 

Using a Ammonite fossil I created a creature of my imagination that can be worn as earrings. The earrings are somewhat an interactive piece. The wearer can choose to keep the tentacles dangling down or hooked up on the ear, letting them customize their look every time they wear it.

Earrings: Topaz, Ammonite, Cat's eye Diopside, Silver. 
15 x 6 x 1.5 cm

2010

Gouache on paper.